


Hurts Like Hell

by thorkiship18



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Everything Hurts, Gen, Heavy Angst, Hopeful Ending, Hurt Sam Winchester, I'm Sorry, Jack Feels, Prayer, Protective Jack Kline
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-04
Updated: 2018-06-04
Packaged: 2019-05-18 00:52:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14842469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thorkiship18/pseuds/thorkiship18
Summary: Dean is gone, abducted by Michael the Archangel.Everyone is going about business as usual...but not Sam, something Jack notices right away. As the days pass by, he begins to realize that he's the only one who seems to care about Sam's wellbeing.Taking matters into his own hands, Jack cares for his guardian.





	Hurts Like Hell

**Author's Note:**

> Hiiiii, don't hate me.

Jack watches his guardian solemnly as he whispers incoherently to himself while turning page after page of the book he's reading.

As long as Jack has been alive, he's seen Sam and Dean put each other first, and love each other harder than any other human has before. They're his true parents, and he's do anything for them. It's disheartening to see Sam treating himself this way over Dean's "loss." They can't find Michael, have no idea what he wants to do or what he wishes to achieve. Jack has caught Sam praying to Michael in secret, begging for him to return his brother to them. As expected, those prayers go unanswered...or ignored.

When confronted about this, Sam usually gives him a weak, withdrawn laugh saying, "It was worth a shot," or "Just seeing what I could do."

It's jarring for Jack knowing that Sam is in so much pain, and that he is powerless to help him. He wants more than anything to have the two men he sees as his true parents reunited once again. They're not whole without the other, he knows this. Soulmates, souls intertwined with each other.

Jack understands his surrogate father's remorse. It's a shame that everyone else doesn't seem to empathize with him. Dean is out there, trapped inside of his own mind while Michael does God knows what with his body. It's driving Sam to insanity because he knows how this feels two times over. At this point in his life, Sam's an expert at Angelic possession, and they haven't been pleasant experiences for him in the slightest.

Though he hasn't been in the world for long, Jack does know that it's not all black and white. Monsters can be human, and some monsters have humanity, so he doesn't understand why the beings he descended from show very little compassion for the world...even Castiel who immediately went to Heaven after Dean's abduction. Jack isn't sure why his mother wished for the Angel to watch over him when Sam and Dean were the only ones really raising him.

Perhaps because he was just there at the time. Maybe Jack will never no.

It's not until two weeks after Dean's abduction that Sam starts to really lose it.

Jack is in his room, concentrating hard on making a book levitate. Lucifer may have stolen his grace, but there's still a tiny piece of power still inside of him. Jack's alerted by a shrill sound several rooms down the hall accompanied by the crashing of objects. His hold on the book fades away, and he's up on his feet in a flash. Without thinking of his own wellbeing, he sprints out of his room to follow the sounds.

It's coming from Sam's room.

Oh no.

Jack doesn't falter. He runs full speed ahead towards Sam's room. Before he opens the door, he hears his guardian shrieking and crying out for Michael in despair. It only gets worse when Jack goes inside. It's a wreck. Broken objects everywhere; Sam's throwing things, hitting the wall. There are books from the library everywhere, presumably containing tracking spells.

Jack just stares as Sam's sanity slowly slips from him. His heart breaks with each passing second.

"You bring him back, you son of a bitch!" Sam yells in the air, tears pouring down his face. "He's my family! That's my brother! I need him! I need him! When I find you, I'll--!"

Sam roars, balling up his fists. He makes the ill fated decision to punch his mirror. The glass shatters upon impact; shards spill down to the floor by Sam's bare feet. He's careful not to step on them, but his knuckles are already bleeding severely. Jack is on it in no time, startling Sam with his presence. He grabs one of Sam's discarded shirts, wrapping the cloth securely around his guardian's right hand.

"Wait here," Jack mutters, easing Sam down on the edge of his bed. "I'll be right back."

Sam, too dazed, does as he's told, looking up at Jack with pleading eyes. Jack walks out of the room slowly only to trek onwards towards the front end of the bunker. When he arrives, he sees Mary, Bobby, and Rowena hanging around in the library. They're talking quietly about something. Sam probably. It makes Jack's blood boil. They'd rather sit around than help find Dean or help tend to Sam. It feels like he's the only one doing the latter; Sam's trying his best, but he needs help.

Jack inhales and exhales slowly, deeply. They look at him as though they're confused.

 _What would Dean do?_ It's what Jack thinks to himself. And then it hits him.

"Everybody, out."

Mary is the first to speak, frowning. "What?"

"Leave," Jack asserts. "All of you. Get out."

"The lad is confused." Rowena laughs. "What's the matter--?"

"Sam's not well. You all have to go. Now. I'm serious."

Rowena's smile drops, and she starts to notice that Jack is very serious. However, Mary persists. She stands, but doesn't come near him. "Jack, if Sam isn't well, then don't you think we should all be here for him?"

Funny.

"But you're not. None of you are. He's been going insane since..." Jack trails off, choosing another approach. "Just go. I don't care how long, but you all need to leave. I...I have to take care of him. I have to do what Dean would've done. Get out."

There's a long silence, but Jack has grown impatient. Anger builds up inside of him, and his eyes glow a dim yellow, more dulled than when his grace was at maximum power. The lights begins to flicker.

"I said get out!"

That seems to be enough for them. They all rise out of their seats, clearly frightened by Jack's sudden outburst. It doesn't take long for them to pack up their things and go, leaving him standing alone in the library with a heavy heart.

He doesn't move until several minutes later, going back into Sam's room with a first aid kit. It's still in total disarray, and the Hunter looks even more lost than usual. He's thinning, and his hair is losing its luster; his face is losing its light as well. Sam looks up at Jack when he kneels down in front of him, peeling away the shirt that has become stained in his blood. Jack tends to the cuts, cleaning them, wrapping gauze around his knuckles.

"It's ironic, isn't it?" Sam mumbles, sniffling. "I'm the adult. I'm supposed to be taking care you."

Jack nods as he continues to fix Sam up. "It's strange. I know."

"You don't have to..."

"If I don't, no one else will."

It stings to say that...but it's completely true. Dean's gone, and he would always be the one to help Sam. In this state, Sam's not even prepared to take care of himself. Jack can only imagine how it must've been the first few times Dean had died, or disappeared. They sit in relative silence for some time as the young Nephilim finishes his work. Sam has stopped crying, but his eyes are red rimmed and bloodshot.

He looks like a completely different person.

Jack's heart breaks a thousand times more as he takes Sam's face in his hands, making him look into his eyes.

"I want you to come with me." Jack says. "Come on."

Sam blinks. "Where are we going?"

Jack stands up, taking Sam's hand in his. "You'll see."

For a moment, Jack believes Sam might decline. Why wouldn't he? He wouldn't fault him for doing so. After all, he's still grieving.

But Sam doesn't pull away, nor does he decline. He instead accepts Jack's hand, and he stands up to his full height, though he hunches his shoulders. He seems smaller this way. It's a little scary. Nonetheless, Jack takes Sam's hand and they leave the room together. They walk down the hall together until they come across a closed door. Sam's breath instantly hitches, and his grip on Jack's hand tightens.

It's Dean's room.

"No..." Sam whispers. "No, Jack, I don't...I don't wanna...I can't..."

"Sam," Jack reassures. "It's okay."

He puts his hand on the doorknob, and twists it until the door opens. The door creaks eerily, and the room is pitch black. Jack touches the wall for the light, and flips the switch not long after. Sam steps in ahead of him, looking around the neat and tidy space. Dean is a very clean man, Jack notes. Everything is in order. He knows where Sam gets it from.

The first thing Sam goes to is Deans closet. Jack doesn't comment on it, he just observes. Sam looks inside, gazing at the many denim, flannel, and Henley shirts in his brothers wardrobe. His fingertips graze over the fabrics, touch lingering longer than normally. He takes one of the shirts from the closest; a grey Henley. Sam hugs it to his chest, walking backwards until he falls back on Dean's bed.

"He's still in there," says Jack. "You know that. He can hear you everytime you call out to him. He's calling back, but you just can't hear it. We'll get him back. I promise."

From there, the tears come back. Sam sobs his older brother's name until his voice is weak and scratchy, until he can't sob anymore, until he falls asleep with Dean's shirt pressed firmly against his chest. Jack watches over him the entire time, smoothing his hair back and whispering small reassurances to him. It really does feel odd that Jack is doing this for the man who he views as his father, though he recognizes that they're family now, and family does what they can for each other.

As Sam sleeps, Jack kisses his forehead sweetly, draping the blankets over him. He gets up to leave from Dean's room, turning out the light. Before he exits fully, Jack cracks the door so some of the light from the hall comes in to illuminate a portion of the room. He heads straight back to Sam's room with the intent to clean, and that's exactly what he does. He starts collecting thrown boots, jeans, broken glass and other items that miraculously survived Sam's wrath.

Eventually, Jack manages to clean up what he can. It's not totally spotless, but it's not a hazard either. Once he's finished cleaning, he slumps to his knees on the floor. Sam is lost, and it is also affecting Jack. He doesn't want to see his guardian unhappy and losing grip on his own sanity. Jack closes his eyes, and calls out to the Archangel that stole away his other guardian.

"Michael...Michael, I know you can hear me. And I know Dean can too. We want him back. Sam needs him. Lucifer is dead, so there's no reason to keep Dean around."

Jack opens his eyes, expecting to find Dean standing in front of him. Instead, there's nothing. Nothing at all. He's still in Sam's room. The Nephilim frowns, lip curling upwards in frustration.

"We'll find you, Michael, and we'll force you out of him and put you in a hole so deep you won't know which way is up. I'm going to protect my family no matter what. You know nothing about that. When Sam is better...you'll truly know the extent of his mercy."

Jack cuts the prayer off there, standing up. He turns out the lights before leaving to go check on Sam again.

****

_...you'll truly know the extent of his mercy._

Michael scoffs at the prayer, walking down the crowed street with his hands in his pockets. His eyes flash blue for a second prior to changing back into Dean's emerald portals.

"I don't know what I like more about you guys," Michael drawls quietly. "Your tenacity, or your foolishness."

Dean watches and hears it all from his mind, unable to properly fight back. He's trapped, paralyzed, just watching Michael's actions play out on a big screen while he sits back on an uncomfortable red chair.

_"They're gonna kill you. You hear me!? Sammy's gonna kill you."_

"He's more than welcome to try. But until then, I've got some things to catch up on here. I need to find my father. Well, you know, my  _new_ father. So much to talk about."

_"When I get control of my body again--"_

"Oh, Dean. We're bound. I'm not going anywhere."

_"This ain't my first rodeo, buddy. I'm patient."_

Michael chuckles. "Really? Then I guess I can make things interesting then, hm?"

His eyes illuminate once again, and up ahead in the road, cars horns are heard blaring along with the screeching of tires and the sound of a collision. Dean sees through his own eyes, spotting a large car accident down the street. Horrified, Dean cries in his mind, clenching his jaw and gritting his teeth.

"We're going to have some fun, Dean," Michael says. "So you might as well just sit back and enjoy the ride."

Dean says nothing in retaliation.

He's just stuck alone with his own thoughts.

_"Sammy...help..."_

**Author's Note:**

> That was it. Hope you liked, see ya next time!


End file.
